The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-16
SURPRISING THE LEAGUE.

How Secretary Balfour VIII Besin-Present
Temper of the Irish People.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
LONDON. Oct. 15.-Mr. Balfour has finally OBJ
tanned the consent of the Cabinet to totally sup
press the National League in Dublin. and if he
should see fit, to extend his prohiDitory opera
tions to the whole of Ireland. The Cabinet will
not meet formally until October % several of the
members having declined curtail their vaca-
tions for the purpose of holding council earlier
and signifed their desire to give Mr..
Balfour a free hand in his conduct of
Irish affairs without specific decision on
certain points by a Cabinet conclave.
Although Mr.. Balfour is thus invested with alb
solutism in the matter, he will scarcely venture
additional measures of repression at once. He,
himself, admits to personal fri ends that reform
in the personnel of the Irish administration is
absolutely necessary before the coercion act can
be effectively enforced and the result of his
conviction will be a thorough cleaning out of
the present incum bents of the Dublin Castle
snecures. In the few where these
officials not conspicuously incompetent, they
the nominees of Castle favorites, or are
themselves such, aud a majority of them are ac-
tive sympathizers with the Nationalist cause,
suspected and justly too, of thwarting. misdi-
recting and betraying the governments measures
against the league Colonel Rideeway, who has
unQer-S6croLaryS
place of General Butler. practically concurs with
Mr. Balfour as to the necessity for a change and
has already minated that successful admins
tration OF the laws In Ireland requires imme-
date clean sweep of the executive departments
OF all i'm beetles and suspects; but in of the
fact that he has not himself been sufficiently
long in Office to ACQUIRE accurate idea of the
necessary work, he asks to be allowed time to
look about him and select the victims to be
rfced In view of this. the league leaders
have little reason to expect any develop
ments of suppression for some time to come, and
are content TO rest in possession of the field of
hattie. confident that each succeeding week will
weaken the powers of the government to carry
out the obnoxious lave. AT the present moment
the act is practically dead. Several minor
victions OF offenders against one clause
other have been obtained in districts
where the resident ma gisIrates are less amenable
to the action of the league and the force of pub
lie opinion, but throughout the length and
breadth of the country the league meet openly
or secretly, and their proceedings and expand
ing influence ripen into activity under the
vengeful feeling engendered by threatened prose-
cution and i'm prIsonment.
AT time in the life of the National League
have the people been fred with national SEN
timent now. striking instance of this all
penetrating enthusiasm occurred Yesterday at
Tsghmon, County Wexford. Twenty persons
were arraigned in court and prosecuted under
the crimes act for having attempted in
timidate land-grabber. Sixteen of the
prisoners discharged for want of ev-
idence, bnt the other four. all of whom
were children, were convicted. Among them
was a girl named Lawler. and the resident mag
istrate, IN pronouncing sentence of imprison-
ment upon her, suggested that she might escape
being locked up by expressing regret for her
conduct End finding bail in a nominal sum. In
stead Of expressing contrlton, the magistrate
N anifestly expected she would. the girl prompt
ly replied: sit is no disgrace to be imprisoned
for Ireland. do not regret what have done
and will not give bail"